Railroad-tie.



.No. 896,678. PATENTED AUG. 18, 19 08.

J. G. ZIMMERMAN, J. G. STOOPS 6: R. M. LANE.

RAILROAD TIE. APPLICATION 11.31) PIE-L28, 1008.

2 sums-sum nwnlou $2 aZ/mmermmr 7 J; 6161* g fim w M L PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

J. G. ZIMMERMAN, J. G. STOOPS & R. M. LANE.

RAILROAD TIE. APPLICATION FILED IEB.28, 1908.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

S (firmer/1mm 1 alimony g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. ZIMMERMAN, JOHN C. STOOPS, AND ROBERT M. LANE, OF NEODESHA, KANSAS,

ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO SAID LANE, ONE-THIRD TO EDGAR A. LANE, AND ONE- THIRD TO CHARLES A. SHARP, OF NEODESHA, KANSAS.

RAILROAD-TIE Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

Application filed February 28, 1908. Serial No. 418,282.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN C. ZIMMERMAN, J OHN O. Sroors, and ROBERT M. LANE, citi- Zens of the United States, residing at Neodesha, in the county of Wilson, State of Kansas, have invented certain new and .useful Improvements in Railroad-Ties; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad ties and is more specifically speaking an improvement on the tie patented by us July 10, 1906, No. 825,876. The tie shown in that patent has its outer rail-engaging members formed integral with the body of the tie but we have found that such a construction is undesirable for the reason that should one of the outer rail-engaging members become fractured, the tie becomes worthless as a new rail-engaging member cannot be substituted.

The present invention, therefore has for its object to so construct the tie and its railengaging members that all four of them may be removed and replaced by others and the body of the tie remain intact.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tie, Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view therethrough, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through one end, Fig. 4 is a top plan view, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the rail-engaging members, Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the rail-supporting blocks, Fig. 7 is an inverted perspective view of one of the plates for supporting the blocks mentioned above, and, Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through one end of the tie showing a slightly modified form thereof. 4

In the drawings, the tie is shown as comprising, in part, a hollow rectangular body consisting of sides 10, a bottom 11 and a top 12. Formed in the top 12 are slots 13, these slots being extended each from a point adj acent one end of the said top to a point adjacent the middle thereof and being widened or enlarged as at 14 at their inner ends, it being understood of course that the slots extend longitudinally of the tie. Int ersecting each of the slots 13 adjacent its outer end is a slot 15 which is formed through the top 12 and also in the upper edge portions of the sides 10. Seated in each of the slots 15 and resting at its end edges u on the slotted edges of the sides 10 are meta lic plates 16 each of which is formed upon its under side with a boss 17, the end edges of which abut the inner faces of the sides 10 at their said slotted portions and in this manner prevent sliding of the plates from their seats. Supported upon the plates 16 are wooden rail-supporting blocks 18 which are of practically the same dimensions as the plates and have their upper faces flush with the upper face of the top 12 of the tie when in the position stated. Rails 19 are supported upon these blocks and the blocks, being of wood, permit the rails to give to a certain degree or in other words form a cushion support for the rails and also deaden or obviate the noise which would otherwise be caused by the passage of a train over the rails should the rails be supported directly upon a metal surface.

The rails 19 are held in position upon the blocks 18 by means of suitable rail flangeengaging blocks, the blocks for engagement with the outer base flange of the rails being indicated in general by the reference character A and the blocks for engagement with the inner base flanges of the rails being indicated in general by the reference character B. Each of the blocks A and B comprises a body 20 provided at each of its sides with a groove 21 and formed with an integral obliquely projecting base flange-engaging lip 22. The formation of the grooves 21 in the sides of the blocks as above described. results in flanges or ribs 23 at the lower edges of the side faces of the blocks and in the blocks B, the ends of these ribs which are presented in the direction of the rail flange-engaging lip being cut away as indicated at 24 for a purpose which will be presently described.

In assembling the tie just described, the blocks A are inserted in the outer ends of the slots 13 formed in the top 12 of the tie with the edges of the said slots received in the grooves 21, the blocks being of course so insertedthat their rail base flange-engaging lips will project inwardly and over the slot 15 the extent of the slots 13 being limited in such manner as to so position the blocks. The metallic rail-supporting plates 16 are then slid into place in the slots 15 and upon them are placed the wooden rail-supporting blocks 18, these blocks being provided, for a purpose to be presently stated, in one side edge each with a recess 25 and the blocks are so disposed upon the plates 16 that their recessed edges will be presented inwardly. After the blocks 18 have been so placed and the rails 19 disposed upon them with their outer base flanges engaged beneath the lips of the outer rail-engaging blocks A, the blocks B are inserted in the slots 13 by way of the enlarged portions 14 and are slid in the slots into engagement with the inner base flanges of the rails, the lug or projection formed by cutting away the inner ends of the ribs or. flanges 23 being received in the recesses 25 in the respective rail-supporting blocks 18, this engagement serving as will readily be understood, to prevent accidental displacement of the said blocks. After the tie has been assembled in this manner, wedge bolts 26 are engaged through suitable openings in the sides 10 of the tie body directly inwardly of the inner ends of the rail engaging blocks B, there being a nut 27 engaged upon each wedge bolt whereby it may be tightened to hold the corresponding block B firmly in engagement with the inner base flange of the corresponding rail.

The form of tie shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings is identical with the form illustrated in the first seven figures with the eX- ception that a thin metallic plate 28 is disposed upon the upper face of each rail-supporting block 18, this form of the tie being used in the su port of the meeting ends of rails and the p ate serving to prevent biting of the ends of the rail into the block.

From the foregoing description of our invention it will be seen that we have provided a tie of such construction that new parts may be readily substituted for old ones or broken ones and in which all of the parts may be quickly and securely assembled with a minimum amount of trouble.

What is claimed, is

1. A tie of the class described comprising a hollow rectangular body formed in its top with slots and in its top and sides with slots which intersect the first mentioned slots, the last mentioned slots being located adjacent the end of the body, plates seated in the last mentioned slots and formed upon their under sides with bosses which engage at their ends with the inner faces of the sides of the body, rail-supporting blocks seated'upon the said plates, and rail base flange-engaging blocks seated in said slots and held therein against displacement, said blocks being formed to lock the rail-supporting blocks in position.

2. A tie of the class described comprising a hollow rectangular body formed inits top with slots and in its top and sides with slots which intersect the first mentioned slots, the last mentioned slots being located adjacent the end. of the body, plates seated in the last mentioned slots and formed upon their under sides with bosses which engage at their ends with the inner faces of the sides of the body, rail-supporting blocks seated upon the said plates, and rail base flange-engaging blocks seated in said slots and held therein against displacement, said blocks and the rail-supporting blocks being interlocked.

3. A tie of the class described comprising a hollow rectangular body formed in its top with slots and in its top and sides with slots which intersect the first mentioned slots, the last mentioned slots being located adjacent the end of the body, plates seated in the last mentioned slots and formed upon their under sides with bosses which engage at their ends with the inner faces of the sides of the body, rail-supporting blocks seated upon the said plates, and rail base flange-engaging blocks seated in said slots and held therein against displacement, the rail supporting blocks being provided each with a recess in one of its side edges and one of each pair of said base flange engaging blocks being formed with a projection designed to seat in said recess and thereby prevent displacement of said blocks.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. ZIMMERMAN. JOHN C. STOOPS. ROBERT M. LANE. 

